• Energy Research

The objective of the current examination is to identify the dynamic relationship between the textile industry and energy intensity. The study evaluates the asymmetric impact of textile manufacturing on energy intensity in leading Asian economies based on textile dominance. China, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam are dominant in textile manufacturing. In the present study we used yearly textiles and clothing data from top ten selected Asian textile manufacturing countries from 1990 to 2018. The results of quantile-on-quantile regression (QQ) confirmed that textiles and clothing (T&C) production have a positive and significant impact on energy intensity in all countries. The results further suggested that a low level of T&C production increases the level of energy intensity in all selected countries. On the other hand, the results of Granger causality in quantiles confirm a bidirectional causal relationship between T&C production and energy intensity in all selected countries except Thailand and Japan, where a uni-directional causal connection between textile and clothing manufacturing and energy intensity can also be found. This study recommends that governments and investors need to invest more in green and advanced technologies to reduce the energy intensity in Asian economies.

Abstract The aim of the current investigation is to analyze the impact of textile and clothing (T&C) manufacturing on carbon dioxide emission (CO2) in top Asian economies. In doing so, the study has utilized the quarterly data of percentage of manufacturing covered by T&C sector and CO2 per capita from the period of 1990–2018. The empirical investigation is carried out by applying the innovative Quantile-on-Quantile (QQ) regression and Granger causality in quantile methods. The findings of the study have identified the significant asymmetric behavior in the quantiles of T&C industry on the quantiles of CO2 emission in the considered economies. Precisely, the outcomes have documented the significant positive contribution of T&C manufacturing on CO2 emission in China, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia. On the other hand, the effect of T&C on CO2 emission is negative in the case of Vietnam. As for causal relationships, the study also confirmed the presence of bi-directional causality between T&C and CO2 emission in all countries except Indonesia, where the relationship is uni-directional. The study recommended regulators to introduce some incentives and subsidies for the new investors in T&C industry with higher emphasis on green manufacturing.

Given the significance of energy conservation as a prime objective of environmental sustainability, countries all around the world are keen to identify significant factors that lead to the augmentation of energy utilization. Considering the rising emphasis of economies in utilizing natural resources to attain higher levels of globalization, the current research was aimed at investigating how the returns of natural resources and globalization affect energy consumption in top Asian economies. In doing so, the study emphasized the nonlinear relationship among the variables and applied the novel nonparametric method of causality in quantile to identify the quantile-based causal connection of natural resources and globalization on the returns and volatility of energy utilization in selected Asian countries. Moreover, the presence of nonlinearity in the variables was tested by the Brock- Dechert-Scheinkman test (BDS test), which confirmed that all variables showed nonlinear behavior. Furthermore, the findings of quantile cointegration confirmed a nonlinear long-run relationship of natural resources and globalization with energy utilization. The prime findings of causality in quantile revealed that the returns of natural resources and globalization had a significant causal effect on the returns of energy consumption in all countries. On the other hand, the volatility in energy consumption concluded no causal association with the returns of natural resources and globalization in any of the studied Asian countries. The findings are beneficial for the policymakers to formulate policies that will help to reduce the level of energy consumption.

In this contemporary era, environmental problems spread at different levels in all countries of the world. Economic growth does not just depend on prioritizing the environment or improving the environmental situation. If the foreign direct investment is directed to the polluting industries, they will increase pollution and damage the environment. The purpose of the study is to consider the relationship between foreign direct investment in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and economic growth and renewable energy consumption. The study is based on data obtained from 1992 to 2018. The results show that there is a two-way link between foreign direct investment and renewable energy consumption in the considered two countries. The Granger causality test approach is applied to explore the causal relationship between the variables. The Johansen co-integration test approach is also employed to test for a relationship. The empirical results verify the existence of co-integration between the series. The main factors influencing renewable energy are economic growth and electricity consumption. To reduce dependence on fuel-based energy sources, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan need to attract energy to renewable energy sources and implement energy efficiency based on rapid progress. This is because renewable energy sources play the role of an engine that stimulates the production process in the economy for all countries.

The aim of the current study was to ascertain the influence of a management control systems (MCS) package on a firm’s sustainability with the help of mediating variables such as differentiation and cost leadership strategy in Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Data were collected from managers working in Malaysian SMEs. A total of 384 questionnaires was finally used for analysis using SmartPLS 3.8.2. Area cluster sampling was used for data collection, and seven out of sixteen clusters were selected randomly. These included Selangor, Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Penang, Sarawak, and Perak because these seven states cover 73.9% of total SMEs. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was also used to examine the reliability and validity, and structural model assessment was used to test the relationship between variables. Findings revealed that an MCS package had a positive influence on a firm’s sustainability, cost leadership, and differentiation strategy. Moreover, cost leadership and differentiation strategy have a significant and positive influence on a firm’s sustainability. In addition, cost leadership strategies and differentiation strategies significantly mediate between the MCS package and a firm’s sustainability. This research assesses the influence of the MCS package through cost leadership and differentiation strategy on a firm’s sustainability of Malaysian SMEs. It helps top management to focus on the MCS package and business strategies in attaining a firm’s long-term sustainability. Finally, research recommendations discuss that the present study helps future researchers and academicians.

BRICS are among the rising nations which drive economic growth by excessive utilization of resources and resulting in environment degradation. Although there is bulk of research on environmental Kuznets curve (EKC), very limited studies explored the scope in context of tourism in BRICS countries. So this research is conducted to explore the association of tourism, renewable energy, and economic growth with carbon emissions by using annual data of BRICS countries from the year 1995 to 2018. By using the recent approach of method of moments quantile regression (MMQR), the finding shows that tourism has stronger significant negative effects from 10th to 40th quantile while the effects are insignificant at remaining quantiles. Furthermore, an inverted U-shape EKC curve is also apparent at all quantiles excluding 10th and 20th quantiles. For renewable energy, the results are found negatively significant across all quantiles (10th-90th) which claim that CO2 emission can be reduced by opting renewable sources. Hence, the empirical results of the current study provide insights for policymakers to consume renewable energy sources for the sustainable economic growth and solution of environmental problems.

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The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between forestry and climate degradation in the modern era. Specifically, the study aimed to examine how forest areas are influencing environmental degradation. Given the inevitable link between forests and carbon dioxide (CO2), the current study focused on examining the impact of changes in forestry on the levels of CO2 emissions in top Asian economies, including China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. To this end, the current study was quantitative in nature and utilized advanced methodology such as econometrics of quantile-on-quantile (Q-Q) regression to investigate the forests-environmental degradation link. In particular, we examined the effect of quantiles of forest areas on the quantile of climate change in top Asian economies using the time series data from 1990 to 2018. The findings confirmed that forest areas have a negative and significant impact on climate degradation in the majority of the groups of quantiles for all countries. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of forests in controlling environmental degradation in Asian economies. Lastly, the study recommends the respective government bodies to intervene and provide assistance in environmental initiatives to improve forestry levels.